The present invention relates to smoking articles such as cigarettes, and in particular to those smoking articles having incorporated therein an additive comprising nicotine and an organic acid.
Popular smoking articles such as cigarettes have a substantially cylindrical rod shaped structure and include a charge of smokable material such as particulates of tobacco (i.e., cut filler) surrounded by a wrapper such as paper thereby forming a tobacco rod. It has become desirable to manufacture cigarettes having cylindrical filters aligned in an end-to-end relationship with the tobacco rod. Typically, filters are manufactured from fibrous materials such as cellulose acetate and are attached to the tobacco rod using a circumscribing tipping material.
The so called "full flavor" cigarettes are popular smoking articles which delivers a desirable tobacco taste, flavor and satisfaction to the smoker. Typically, the "full flavor" cigarettes deliver about 14 mg or more of FTC "tar" per cigarette. Cigarettes also can be classified as "full flavor low tar" cigarettes. Typically, the "full flavor low tar" cigarettes deliver from about 8 to about 14 mg of FTC "tar" per cigarette, as well as lower levels of FTC nicotine as compared to "full flavor" cigarettes. Yet another classification of popular cigarettes is the "ultra low tar" cigarette which delivers still lower levels of FTC "tar" and nicotine. Typically, the "ultra low tar" cigarettes deliver less than about 7 mg of FTC "tar" per cigarette. The "full flavor low tar" and "ultra low tar" cigarettes conventionally have air dilution means such as laser perforations provided in the periphery of the mouth end region thereof, or have filter elements highly efficient for the removal of "tar" and nicotine from the mainstream aerosol. In general, the perceived taste or strength of the cigarettes classified as having lower levels of "tar" and nicotine are progressively less than that of the cigarettes which are classified as approaching the characteristics of the "full flavor" cigarettes. It has been proposed to add nicotine and other flavorants to the cut filler of lower "tar" cigarettes to enhance the taste, strength and satisfaction of such cigarettes. However, the addition of nicotine to such cigarettes generally yields mainstream smoke which may be perceived as harsh or irritating to the mouth, nose and throat of the user.
The addition of nicotine di-(p-toluoyltartrate) salts to cigarettes has been proposed in order to study the exogenous transfer of nicotine from the cigarette during smoking. See, for example, Houseman, Beitr. Tabakforsc., Vol. 7, p. 14 (1973); Jenkins et al, Int'l Journal of Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Vol. 27, p. 323 (1976); Armitage et al, Quarterly Journal of Experimental Physiology, Vol. 59, p. 55 (1974). However, the cited articles propose neither improved taste nor other enhanced smoking characteristics of the cigarettes as a result of the salt additive.
It would be desirable to provide a cigarette such as an "ultra low tar" cigarette which is capable of delivering a good tobacco taste, strength and smoking satisfaction characteristic of a "full flavor low tar" cigarette while not being perceived as being overly harsh or irritating. In addition, it would be desirable to provide a cigarette such as "full flavor low tar" cigarette which is capable of delivering a good tobacco taste, strength and smoking satisfaction characteristic of a "full flavor" cigarette while not being perceived as being overly harsh or irritating.